For more than a century, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have shared one of the most iconic—and bitter—rivalries in Major League Baseball. Just 200 miles apart, the two teams have clashed in ways that have shaped baseball history, producing unforgettable moments and plenty of bad blood.
It all started with one of the most infamous moves in sports: in 1919, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees, sparking the so-called “Curse of the Bambino.” From there, the rivalry only grew hotter. Think Bucky Dent’s shocking home run in the 1978 tiebreaker, or Aaron Boone’s walk-off blast in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.
The Red Sox have had their share of glory too—none bigger than their stunning comeback in the 2004 ALCS. Down 3-0 to New York, Boston stormed back to win four straight and then broke their 86-year title drought with a World Series victory.
Of course, the rivalry hasn’t just been about clutch hits. It’s also been about fights, scuffles, and unforgettable drama. Who can forget Jason Varitek punching Alex Rodriguez in 2004? Or Pedro Martinez shoving 72-year-old Yankees coach Don Zimmer to the ground a year earlier?
Still, some say the rivalry isn’t what it used to be.
“It was like hatred,” said Brian Doyle, a Yankees infielder from the late ‘70s. “It’s just not the same as it was back then.”
Bucky Dent agrees: “Back in the ‘70s you didn’t change teams very often. It was always Munson, Fisk, Nettles, Lee. It felt more personal.”
Roy White, who spent his whole 15-year career with the Yankees, remembers the rivalry heating up in the late ‘70s when both teams were contenders. That era gave fans bench-clearing brawls, like the 1976 melee sparked by Lou Piniella’s collision with Carlton Fisk, which left Boston’s Bill Lee sidelined with a serious shoulder injury.
But when Boston finally broke the supposed Ruth curse and started winning titles of their own, the edge seemed to dull.
“Once they started winning the World Series, it kind of calmed down,” said former Yankee Tino Martinez. “You play them so many times now, it takes away a little of the rivalry.”
Even so, this week’s Yankees-Red Sox series in the Bronx could reignite old sparks. Both teams are hanging onto AL Wild Card hopes with just six weeks left in the season, raising the stakes for every at-bat.
“Not saying we don’t want to beat everybody, but the Red Sox are the number one team you want to beat,” said former Yankee Mickey Rivers.
Or, as Dent put it simply: “It’s always going to be a rivalry. It’s always Boston–New York.”
